Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Saturday, September 25, alleged that the Congress launched the 'PayCM' campaign targeting Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai because the party “cannot tolerate a Chief Minister from the major Lingayat community”. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Sudhakar said, “Whoever gives good governance, especially if there are strong Lingayat chief ministers, they (Congress) drag them out. People of the state are taking note of it.” However, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has distanced himself from the discussion. “I am not a party to that statement and will not comment,” CM Bommai said in Chitradurga.
In his allegations against the Congress, Sudhakar alleged, “Congress has always done that. They always target the major community. This is not the first time. They did not spare Kengal Hanumanthaiah. Whom did they spare? This is their constant approach.” Sudhakar said the PayCM campaign “shows the desperation of the Congress” to come back to power. The opposition party has sealed whatever little chances it had in Karnataka, he said.
He also alleged that the PayCM was filled with malafide political intent. He asked, "Are these Congress leaders Satya Harishchandra?' How many of these have returned from jail and how many are out on bail? Aren't they ashamed of talking about politics and corruption? The top Congress leaders in Karnataka who are talking about corruption are out on bail.” Meanwhile, the Veerashaiva Lingayat community has promised support to Chief Minister Bommai, and has launched a campaign against the Congress.
The Congress launched the ‘PayCM campaign’, putting up posters in public places with a QR code with a visible image of CM Bommai in the middle. Upon scanning, the QR Code redirects to the website 40percentsarkara.com launched by the Congress 10 days ago. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah, state Congress chief D K Shivakumar, All India Congress Committee general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and several senior MLAs and others participated in the campaign. Later, the Congress leaders were arrested and the posters were removed from the public place. Congress leaders such as B K Hariprasad and others pasted the posters on the bus which police had brought to take away the leaders to the police station.